In previous blogs I have talked about the interaction with the guest after they have received their meal. It is key to their experience.
Often in the fast-casual world this is a challenge, but can not be ignored.
A very important element to this part of the service cycle is the EXITING COMMENT. Are we saying "good-bye" to our guests?
I believe this may be the most over-looked interaction with the guest in the cycle of service. However, this is the final snapshot of their experience and is critical for two reasons:
1.If you missed something, their reaction will let you know and you can fix it.
2.You remind them just before they leave how much you appreciate their business. After you already have their money.
Next time you work, have your staff focus on the EXITING COMMENT! You will find it is a very effective tool.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
It is good to see Scott everyday.
It is always a great day when you realize that you have a new regular. It is even better when you know that they service your crew provided played a crucial role in their decision.
The effect we had on Scott actually came from a complaint. Scott likes eight grain bagels. These are the most popular bagels and sometimes we get a huge run on them (my director would ask me to please raise my par!). I noticed Scott was upset because we ran out two days in a row.
I decided to take action. I quickly apologized to him, and asked him be our guest for breakfast. He thanked me and I thanked him. Moving forward, I assured him I will have more eight grain bagels available in the early morning.
Since then, I have seen Scott everyday.
The effect we had on Scott actually came from a complaint. Scott likes eight grain bagels. These are the most popular bagels and sometimes we get a huge run on them (my director would ask me to please raise my par!). I noticed Scott was upset because we ran out two days in a row.
I decided to take action. I quickly apologized to him, and asked him be our guest for breakfast. He thanked me and I thanked him. Moving forward, I assured him I will have more eight grain bagels available in the early morning.
Since then, I have seen Scott everyday.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Keeping coaching and they will step up!
What do you do when you are understaffed?
Can you still provide the kind of service that you brag about?
Can you still overcome the challenges that overwhelm most?
Well, today was the day for such a question?
We got killed today and I have to tell you, my entire crew stepped up and really took care of people. It was a tough, yet amazing day!
With all the volume, there were only a few situations were a guest became agitated and in every case an employee took ownership and fixed the problem.
All I had to do was follow up. I stayed calm the entire time and I am sure they fed off that, but honestly, it was them keeping me going most of the day.
Keep coaching and when you need them most, they will step up!
Can you still provide the kind of service that you brag about?
Can you still overcome the challenges that overwhelm most?
Well, today was the day for such a question?
We got killed today and I have to tell you, my entire crew stepped up and really took care of people. It was a tough, yet amazing day!
With all the volume, there were only a few situations were a guest became agitated and in every case an employee took ownership and fixed the problem.
All I had to do was follow up. I stayed calm the entire time and I am sure they fed off that, but honestly, it was them keeping me going most of the day.
Keep coaching and when you need them most, they will step up!
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Start with something simple.
Exceeding guest expectations begins with simplicity.
In the fast-casual world the guest is expected to clear there own table and really do not have much interaction with the staff after they receive their meal..
The employee usually designated to keep the foh neat, clean and organized ("nco" are my favorite three letters) does not clear tables nor does he or she pay much attention to the guests experience.
However, this is actually a great opportunity to impress the guest.
Some managers may avoid interacting with the guest fearing a complaint. But, as leaders we do not want those folks to leave unhappy. You are more likely to create a raving fan by fixing a problem effectively.
I simply encourage my hosts to talk to the guest while they are dining and to clear there plates when possible. The reactions are always positive.
When I think good service, I think start with something simple.
In the fast-casual world the guest is expected to clear there own table and really do not have much interaction with the staff after they receive their meal..
The employee usually designated to keep the foh neat, clean and organized ("nco" are my favorite three letters) does not clear tables nor does he or she pay much attention to the guests experience.
However, this is actually a great opportunity to impress the guest.
Some managers may avoid interacting with the guest fearing a complaint. But, as leaders we do not want those folks to leave unhappy. You are more likely to create a raving fan by fixing a problem effectively.
I simply encourage my hosts to talk to the guest while they are dining and to clear there plates when possible. The reactions are always positive.
When I think good service, I think start with something simple.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
You need guys like Lee.
I like to talk about exceeding guest expectations as a GM, but I can not stress enough how important it is to train your staff to do the same.
We have a regular guest named Ronnie Goodman. Mrs. Goodman is handicapped and has a hard time getting around. About the third time she came in, I suggested she call me and I would bring her purchases to her car. I relayed the message to my crew accordingly.
My assistant Lee has moved on to ownership and now only works on Sundays. I have a new assistant who works on Saturday when Mrs. Goodman comes in. I have yet to relay the message to my new guy.
Turns out, he got the message.
Mrs. Goodman called me yesterday to rave about Lee and how went out of his way to introduce TJ(my new guy) to her and show him the routine. She was so happy. She told all her friends and could not wait to talk to me. Something so easy meant so much to her.
You need guys like Lee.
We have a regular guest named Ronnie Goodman. Mrs. Goodman is handicapped and has a hard time getting around. About the third time she came in, I suggested she call me and I would bring her purchases to her car. I relayed the message to my crew accordingly.
My assistant Lee has moved on to ownership and now only works on Sundays. I have a new assistant who works on Saturday when Mrs. Goodman comes in. I have yet to relay the message to my new guy.
Turns out, he got the message.
Mrs. Goodman called me yesterday to rave about Lee and how went out of his way to introduce TJ(my new guy) to her and show him the routine. She was so happy. She told all her friends and could not wait to talk to me. Something so easy meant so much to her.
You need guys like Lee.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
I can do that!
Although my cafe does not specialize in espresso drinks, we get a ton of them everyday. We offer a variety of syrups that a guest can add to their coffee. None of these are sugar-free.
Today a guest ordered a coffee and asked if we had any sugar-free syrups. I realized I had heard that sentiment before and could have taken action then. I apologized to the guest, but assured him that I would have one next time.
Listening to your guests needs is crucial to the success of the store. Something as simple as a syrup or a popular sweetener could make a difference to some.
More often, my thought should be: I CAN DO THAT!
Today a guest ordered a coffee and asked if we had any sugar-free syrups. I realized I had heard that sentiment before and could have taken action then. I apologized to the guest, but assured him that I would have one next time.
Listening to your guests needs is crucial to the success of the store. Something as simple as a syrup or a popular sweetener could make a difference to some.
More often, my thought should be: I CAN DO THAT!
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Just get the ball rolling!
I got a comment on my first ever blog that is, well, just a very good point.
The pressure to solve guest issues is entirely up to the management staff. At no point should we make an employee feel responsible for any managerial duties.
It is important to empower our staff to properly react to guest issues, but we can not hide behind them when a problem arises. Ultimately we need to solve any guest issue, not put the responsiblity on our people and thank them for "getting the ball rolling".
A guest wants "permanent resolution". That is what we do!
The pressure to solve guest issues is entirely up to the management staff. At no point should we make an employee feel responsible for any managerial duties.
It is important to empower our staff to properly react to guest issues, but we can not hide behind them when a problem arises. Ultimately we need to solve any guest issue, not put the responsiblity on our people and thank them for "getting the ball rolling".
A guest wants "permanent resolution". That is what we do!
Monday, March 17, 2008
It's no fun if you can not make a mess.
It is busy and you don't have a second to spare. What is the worst thing that could happen? A gentleman spills an entire cup of coffee on the floor in the middle of the huge line that is developing.
Your first thought is OMG! How am I going to get to that spill right now? I can not believe that just happened. Your reaction at this point is critical.
It happened to me today and I will tell you what I did. I calmed the guest down with this phrase. "Sir, don't worry, it is no fun here if you can not make a mess". I quickly relaxed the guest and simutaniously eased the folks on line who were waiting to get served. I quickly put up a "wet floor" sign and got to the spill five minutes later.
We have all spilled things in public places. No one wants to be embarrassed over it.
You can be the one to defuse the situation and build your store's reputation in the process.
Your first thought is OMG! How am I going to get to that spill right now? I can not believe that just happened. Your reaction at this point is critical.
It happened to me today and I will tell you what I did. I calmed the guest down with this phrase. "Sir, don't worry, it is no fun here if you can not make a mess". I quickly relaxed the guest and simutaniously eased the folks on line who were waiting to get served. I quickly put up a "wet floor" sign and got to the spill five minutes later.
We have all spilled things in public places. No one wants to be embarrassed over it.
You can be the one to defuse the situation and build your store's reputation in the process.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Don't take Kenny for granted.
Hopefully we all have guests that come in everyday. I have more than 25 believe it or not! We all say hello to them and make sure their order is correct, but do we sometimes take them for granted?
I thought about that when one of our regulars, Kenny came in today. There was a huge line when I noticed him getting out of his car across the parking lot. My first thought could have been "oh, that is just Kenny, he knows we are busy and he will wait".
Instead I decided I would make Kenny's day. I grabbed his favorite bagel, toasted it, buttered it and discretely called Kenny over and asked to pay me after he finished his meal. All while no other guest suffered, as we were moving the line efficiently(that is for a whole other blog.) Kenny felt like a million bucks and thanked me more than once afterward.
One of the reasons Kenny comes every day is because we don't take Kenny for granted!
I thought about that when one of our regulars, Kenny came in today. There was a huge line when I noticed him getting out of his car across the parking lot. My first thought could have been "oh, that is just Kenny, he knows we are busy and he will wait".
Instead I decided I would make Kenny's day. I grabbed his favorite bagel, toasted it, buttered it and discretely called Kenny over and asked to pay me after he finished his meal. All while no other guest suffered, as we were moving the line efficiently(that is for a whole other blog.) Kenny felt like a million bucks and thanked me more than once afterward.
One of the reasons Kenny comes every day is because we don't take Kenny for granted!
Friday, March 14, 2008
My order is always wrong!
"My order is always wrong". Those are words we don't like to hear.
I had a guest today who was waiting for her food. Her body language suggested that she was in a hurry and concerned about her order. I decided to be pro-active. I said hello and asked her her name so I could check on her meal. She responded with that awful phrase"My order is always wrong".
The initial reaction may be of insult. As the restaurant leader you may feel insulted that a guest would say this to you. But, like my Director always says, "take a guest complaint seriously, but not personal". It is probably not true that her order always wrong, especially since I did not recognize this guest or her order, but that should not matter. We work in a world of perception.
All you should be thinking about is building a relationship with the guest and making sure her order is always correct.
I simply introduced myself to her and assured her I would check her order personally and that we would work harder to complete her order correctly in the future. She immediately relaxed and we began to talk. When she left, she felt good about her experience and is more likely to come back now. That is the goal.
I had a guest today who was waiting for her food. Her body language suggested that she was in a hurry and concerned about her order. I decided to be pro-active. I said hello and asked her her name so I could check on her meal. She responded with that awful phrase"My order is always wrong".
The initial reaction may be of insult. As the restaurant leader you may feel insulted that a guest would say this to you. But, like my Director always says, "take a guest complaint seriously, but not personal". It is probably not true that her order always wrong, especially since I did not recognize this guest or her order, but that should not matter. We work in a world of perception.
All you should be thinking about is building a relationship with the guest and making sure her order is always correct.
I simply introduced myself to her and assured her I would check her order personally and that we would work harder to complete her order correctly in the future. She immediately relaxed and we began to talk. When she left, she felt good about her experience and is more likely to come back now. That is the goal.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Adversity is the stone upon which I sharpen my blade!
Dealing with demanding or picky guests often presents a big challenge for a restaurant manager. We live in a world of perception. 5 minutes becomes 10 minutes, last time the salad was bigger, and so on.
However, we must overcome this adversity and use these situations as an oppertunity to exceed guest expectations. It is these moments that define a commitment to providing "uncommon" great service.
You must train your staff to listen to the guest, and assure them that the issue will be resolved to their satisfaction.
This belief is what separates the manager from the LEADER!
This blog is for all my peer leaders with the same goal and with the stories to help encourage others.
However, we must overcome this adversity and use these situations as an oppertunity to exceed guest expectations. It is these moments that define a commitment to providing "uncommon" great service.
You must train your staff to listen to the guest, and assure them that the issue will be resolved to their satisfaction.
This belief is what separates the manager from the LEADER!
This blog is for all my peer leaders with the same goal and with the stories to help encourage others.
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